March 24, 2017

Virginia Gantt
Virginia Gantt, 90, of Folkston, where she had lived for more than 60 years years, died at home of natural causes.
She passed away peacefully surrounded by her children and friends.
“Ms. Ginny,” as she was known by local friends, came to the Folkston community 60 years ago with her husband, Marion P. Gantt. She was born Aug. 19, 1926 in Hamilton, Bermuda, where she lived until she met and married Mr. Gantt, who was stationed in Bermuda where he was a U.S. Navy pilot during World War II.
After they were married, they chose Folkston as a place to settle down, start a local business and raise their family. They opened a Western Auto store on Main Street, along with brother-in-law Jim Gantt, in 1949. Both “Ms. Ginny” and “Mr. Marion” were life long active members of the local community in business and civic affairs, and members of Folkston United Methodist Church.
She was pre-deceased by her husband, her sisters Lucille Soper, of San Diego, Calif., and Patricia Marshall, of Somerset, Bermuda, and her brother, Cyril (Jimmy) Vallis, of Somerset, Bermuda.
The survivors are her five children Vickie Gantt Gilchrist (Ed), of Folkston, Dr. Robert Marion Gantt (Anne), of Savannah, Doris Virginia Means, of Columbus, Bryan Vallis Gantt (Lorelle), of Atlanta, and Erick J.S. Gantt, of Chicago, Ill.; 10 grandchildren, Edward Hitch Gilchrist Jr., Brandon Gantt, Emily Gantt, Elizabeth Gantt, Laura Kate Means, David Means, Courtney Gantt, Dylan Gantt, Hayden Gantt and Leah Gantt; a sister, Peggy Hollis; a brother and sister-in-law, David and Shirley Vallis; and a sister-in-law, Jeannette Vallis, that still reside in Bermuda; numerous nieces and nephews in the United States and in Bermuda.
A graveside memorial service will be held Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Pineview Cemetery with the Rev. Jack Varnell officiating.
The family will receive friends Saturday at her residence, 3400 Main St., Folkston, from 3 until 5 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mrs. Gantt’s honor to Folkston United Methodist Church, 1463 3rd St., Folkston, Ga. 31537 or Hospice of the Golden Isles, 1692 Glynco Parkway, Brunswick, Ga. 31525 or by visiting the website at www.hospice.me
Condolences may be expressed by signing the guest registry at www.shepardfh.com
Arrangements are under the direction of Shepard-Roberson Funeral Home, 526 Oakwood St., Folkston.

Frankie Joyce Stephens
Frankie “Joyce” Peacock Stephens, 85, passed away Wednesday (March 22, 2017) at Evans Memorial Hospital after a long illness.
A former resident of Waycross for 20 years and a resident of Jesup since 1974, she was born June 19, 1931 in River Junction, Fla., to the late Frank and Atlas Taylor Peacock.
She was a former member of Central Baptist Church of Waycross, First Baptist Church of Jesup, and currently was a member of First United Methodist Church of Jesup, where she attended the Joy Sunday School Class.
She was an active volunteer at the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home in Baxley and was a member of the Red Hat Ladies and the Garden Club of Waycross. She loved God, her family, collecting peacocks and solar powered bobble heads, her plants and flowers and watching birds.
In addition to her parents, her stepfather, Jeff Shelfer, husband of 41 years, R.A. Stephens Jr., sister, Mildred Peacock Faircloth, brother, Gary Peacock, nephew, Ralph Faircloth Jr., and furry companion, Daisy, preceded her in death.
Survivors include her son, Richard Alexander “Ray” Stephens III (his fiancée, Amy Hill) and her son, Ashton, all of Jesup; granddaughters, Lauren K. Stephens and Rachel A. Stephens, both of Statesboro, and their mother, Debbie Hayes Stephens, of St. Simons Island and her parents, Calvin and Johnnie Hayes, of Jesup; sisters-in-law, Margie Stephens, Carol Peacock, Janet Herron and Gloria Dixon; nephew, Jeff and Jean Peacock and their children, all of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; niece, Deborah and Mike Grandey, and their children, all of Apopka, Fla.; and her beloved caregivers, Cynthia Collett, Sheila Bunch and Niki Dennison; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members.
The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church of Jesup with the Rev. Tucker Lewis officiating.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.
Interment will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Bob Harrison, Fletcher Stevenson, John Wolfe, Pat Perry, Mike Stuckey and Mitchell Bush.
Remembrances may be made to First United Methodist Church of Jesup, 205 E. Cherry St., Jesup, Ga. 31546.
Sympathy may be expressed on the online guestbook at www.jesupfuneralhome.com
Howard & Jones Funeral Home of Jesup is serving the family.

Joseph D. Meriweather
A celebration of life service for Joseph Dewayne Meriweather, 30, will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at Lighthouse Assembly of God Church, 2104 Pearson Highway, Homerville, where the Rev. Donald Stalvey is pastor and Pastor Gertrude Sanford, pastor of Homerville Holiness Deliverance Church, will offer words of comfort.
He was born Jan. 15, 1987 in Waycross to Malcolm Meriweather and Irene Edwards. He grew up in Homerville where he attended the Clinch County Public School System. He later moved to Valdosta where he graduated from Valdosta High School in 2006.
He was a member of Homerville Holiness Deliverance Church and a former employee of BWAY Corporation in Homerville.
He departed this life on Saturday (March 18, 2017) at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany after an illness.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Joseph Moten Sr. and Fannie M. Walker, his maternal grandfather, Mal Chester Bridges.
Those left to cherish his memory include his father, Malcolm Meriweather (Tamara); his mother, Irene Coe (Roy); sisters, Shondora Davis (Derick), Contessa Prester, Diandra Meriweather, Paris Haskins, Brittney Smith and Gladdis Coe; brothers, Larry Reeves Jr. and Tyreal Prester; his grandmother, Oime Lee Bridges; aunts, Joann Lacey (Alexander), Lucy Faison, Mariyn Bridges, Connie Meriweather, Ethel Meriweather, Janie Robinson, Cynthia Gray (Miles); uncles, Joseph Moten Jr., Clarence Moten (Shirley), Lonnie Moten; a host of great-uncles, great-aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
Interment will be in Pine Forest Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Fluker Funeral Home of Homerville.

William ‘Bill’ Owen III
William Paraham “Bill” Owen III, 66, of Mershon, passed away Thursday (March 23, 2017) at the Hospice Satilla Hospice House.
Born in Jacksonville, Fla., April 13, 1950, he lived in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for many years before moving to Pierce County in 2012.
He was an electrical engineer with Opto Electronic. A true “Tech Guy,” he enjoyed building computers and tinkering with anything electronic. He also enjoyed photography and going to yard sales. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father and brother.
He was the son of the late William Paraham Owen Jr. and Frances Sherwood Williams Mixon.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Casey Owen, of Mershon, a daughter, Missy Owen, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., two sons, Matthew Owen, of Brunswick, and Billy Owen, of Fort Lauderdale, a step-daughter, Cindy Aiken, of Mershon, a step-son, Mike Aiken, of Fort Lauderdale, a sister and brother-in-law, Julie and Byron Bennett, of Brunswick, and several other relatives and friends.
A memorial service will be held Saturday morning at 11 o’clock at Bridge Community Church.
Visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorials be made to Hospice Satilla Hospice House, 811 Beacon St., Waycross, Ga. 31501.
Memorialization will be by cremation.
Sympathy may be expressed by signing the online register at www.pearsondial.com
Pearson-Dial Funeral Home, Inc., of Blackshear is in charge of the arrangements.